If you've never had a fresh cider donut, soaked with fryer oil and coated with cinnamon and sugar, you're missing out on one of the great delights of the world. And even if you have had one, if it wasn't from Hicks Orchard in Granville, NY, you're still missing out. Hicks cider donuts are the most fantastic donuts I've ever had, bar none. Krispy Kreme doesn't hold a candle to these heavenly, artery-clogging little bits of fried perfection.

Ever since I was a little kid, my family has been going to Hicks Orchard to pick apples and blueberries, and to watch the fascinating donut machine chugging away in their cider barn. Through the glass windows you could watch the giant batter-filled receptacle plop little O's of batter into the bubbling oil below, where they floated along, were flipped over to cook their other side, and then were carried up and out of the oil on a metal conveyor belt. And when you ordered a dozen of them and were handed a paper bag made translucent with oil and hot to the touch, you knew these would be good. Boy, were they ever.

As the years have gone by, word has gotten out about these donuts. On Sunday when we visited, the line to order them stretched clear across the barnyard, never shorter than about fifty people. Despite the hot sun, people (myself included) gladly waited an hour to get themselves a batch of these delectable confections. Hicks now has three donut machines running in their bakery instead of the single one they had in years past, and even these have trouble keeping up with demand. Homer Price's out-of-control donut machine would probably have trouble filling all the orders placed in a timely fashion.

Like most great things, Hicks cider donuts don't last. You've gotta eat 'em soon after you get them or they lose their glory, fading to mere shadows of their former selves. If you're ever in the area — heck, if you're ever within three hours' drive, and it's apple season, stop in and grab a few. They're totally worth the trip.

yeah if you buy them it's almost imperative that you stuff them in your face and then lie around going MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM for forty-five minutes. they have to be eaten warm to understand the glory. mmm. i haven't had one in years. omg. haha i love you for posting pictures.